Send in Feedback regarding National's proposed cuts to coastal shipping and more for roading

Hi All, this has come through from the Greens, regarding the Government's Policy Statement , and even at this stage if enough people send in feedback saying that this is not a positive step for a sustainable society maybe that might have some affect - So still time to send feedback.

The National Government has big plans to change the way the Land Transport Fund is spent in the future. Proposed ratios of spending on roads to alternatives to roads blow out to a maximum of $9:$1!

Sue Bradford's press statement included

"The Government plans to cut almost all funding for coastal shipping from 2009, the Green Party has discovered.“Sea freight is a key part of our transport infrastructure,” said Green Maritime Transport spokesperson Sue Bradford today.

“National plans to throw this all away by removing funding for rail and sea freight development,” Ms Bradford said in response to the Government’s revised Policy Statement (GPS) released this week.

“A huge amount of work went in over the last few years in getting the Roadways to Waterways and Sea Change strategies under way. The gains are now all at risk.”

The Sea Change strategy aimed to transform coastal shipping in New Zealand and double its share of the freight task to 30% by 2040, taking trucks off New Zealand’s roads and making the country’s freight infrastructure more sustainable. The previous Government hadcommitted up to $179 million to develop sea and rail infrastructure through to 2019. National propose reducing this investment to between $8–13 million.

“Instead of helping Kiwi ships operate staffed with Kiwi seafarers, Nationalare leaving them high and dry, without a plan to grow their share of the freight industry or the required investment toachieve it,” Ms Bradford said.

“Even worse, National seems to neither know nor care that sea freight has the potential to make a huge contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and our reliance on foreign oil.” Coastalshipping is the most energy efficient way to move freight around the country, producing only 14 grams of CO2 per tonne-kilometre compared with road at 92–123 grams of CO2 per tonne-kilometre.“This retrograde step flies in the face of any Government commitment to emissions reduction.”

I've attached the document for your reference. MOT advise they will accept feedback even if you weren't initially consulted.If you wish to provide feedback, written feedback is preferred, and can be provided: